Masonry unit



'June 16, 1935. W M, DUNAGAN 2,044,382

MASONRY UNIT Filed ot. 29, 1954 Patented June 16, 1936 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE MASON!!! UNIT Walter M. Dunann. Ames, Iowa Application october 29, 1934, serial No. 750,559

'i Claims.

An object of my invention is to provide a masonry unit of simple durable and inexpensive construction.

Still a further object is to make a beam adapt- 5 ed to be supported at its ends and which can be inexpensively made of a special shape of building tile yet which has such a degree of inherent strength that its deflection under heavy loads is well within the limit of safety prescribed by l architects and the like.

A further object is to provide 'an inexpensive oor slab construction which eliminates all necessity of supporting framework, yet which can be `quickly fabricated on the job and thus inexl pensively produced as it requires but a minimum of time for forming the masonry units and assembling them in the proper position to form a floor.

Still a further object is to provide a beam 20 which can rigidly support a considerable load when supported at its ends, the beam being formed of short blocks of tile or the like bonded together by means of mortar in a groove extending throughout the length of the beam and in 25 which a. reinforcing rod has been embedded while the blocks are aligned on a plank or the like with the groove uppermost, after which the beam can be turned over so as to place the reinforcing rod under tension when the ends of the 30 beam are supported.

Still another object is to provide means to prevent shearing strains between the ends of the blocks and to prevent fractures in the beam while handling it before placing it in its final position.

Still another object is to provide a floor construction which can be formed of a plurality of beams according to my invention and then be completed with a slab of plastic concrete whereby a concrete oor or sub-iloor is provided.

Still a further object is to provide a method 'for quickly and easily precasting beams of hollow tile or the like which have sufficient strength to be formed into a iioorE without the necessity of joists or other supports.

Still another object is to provide a type of construction and a method for constructing overhanging ends of the beams so that when used for a porch or the like, under supports are not required.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are at- 55 tained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a basement or the like illustrating the masonry units being formed according to my invention and being used to form a floor. l

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal view through one of the beams.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a. block or ho low tile used in forming the beams.

Figure 4 is a view of the portion of Figure 3 within the circle 4, illustrating how a channel can be formed in the lower face of the blocks when a beam supported so that it has negative bending moment is constructed.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of one of the beams during the process of forming it.

Figure 5A is a side elevation showing the formed beam turned over to the position it occupies when in use.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing a beam in side elevation and illustrating how they can be cast in an arched position.

On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference character A to indicate a block-like unit preferably formed of clay in the manner that building blocks are formed. The exact -shape of the block A is immaterial, although it is preferably characterized by a channel Ill in one face thereof and channels l2 in the sides thereof. The blocks are to be cast into a beam unit such as indicated at B in Figure l with the channel Il) upwardly. Thereafter they are used with the channel down. The grooves i2 are preferably on the opposite side of the neutral axis or center of gravity of the unit A from the channel lli.

The blocks A are adapted to be formed into the beam B by placing a plurality of them end to end .on a plank or the like i6. This can be done as illustrated in Figure l on the basement floor i6 of a foundation I8. 'I'he beams B are primarily designed for forming Va oor by being laid side by side as shown in Figure 1. For instance if the block A is twelve inches wide and a six by twelve foot iioor is to be made, twelve beams six feet long are made.

'I'he process of making the beams B consists, after arranging the blocks A end to end on the plank I4, in partially iilling the grooves or channels Iii with concrete mortar I9 then placing a reinforcing rod 20 therein and thereafter lling the channel with mortar to the level or somewhat less should construction demand of the upper faces of the blocks.

as illustrated in Figure 3 to increase the bond between the concrete and the blocks to insure against longitudinal movement of the rod 20 relative to any of the blocks A.

After the channels I0 are filled and the rod 20 is in its embedded position, the grooves I2 are filled with mortar 2| in which second rods 22 of smaller diameter are embedded. After the beams 'are thus formed or cast, they are allowed to set for a day or two, whereupon they may be handled and placed in their final position.

Without the rods 22 if the beams B were picked up oii' the plank I4 by their ends there would be a tendency to fracture the mortar in the channel le. That is why the rods 22 are provided and they may be of smaller diameter as their only purpose is to prevent such fracture, in addition to counteracting shearing strains between the plurality of blocks A both during handling of the beam .and later while carrying loads.

The beams B are turned over as in Figure 5A before they are placed on the foundation I8 whereupon the heavier reinforcing rods 20 are in the tension side of the beams. This permits the beam to be supported by its ends with the tensile strength of the rod 20 counteracting any downward deection of the beam under load. In actual tests I have found that a beam formed in accordance with my method can easily support a weight of two tons without more than onetenth of an inch deflection.

Accordingly, a plurality of these beams in forming an entire floor is entirelyl practical for supporting heavy loads without the necessity of any supporting framework, such as joists or the like.

After the beams are placed in position on the foundation I8, screeds and other ooring may be laid thereon or if the iioor is to be used for heavy duty, reinforcing rods 24 can be laid transversely of the beams and a slab .of plastic concrete 26 may be laid over the beams andembedding the rods 24. The rods 24 prevent fracture of the concrete 26 at the joints between the successive beams. After the concrete slab is laid any floor covering desired can be laid on or secured thereon.

Instead of being used only for floors, the beams B can also be used in any other part of a structure desired. For instance, one is used at B' serving as a lintel over a doorway 28. In other instances the beams B may have portions such as indicated at B" overhanging a support such as the lintel B' to form a porch oor or other structure. To eliminate any necessity of under supports for such a floor, tension reinforcing rods 20a may be placed in the upper surface of the portion B" and in a portion of the beam B itself, as indicated in the two blocks A' and A" in Figure 1. A channel may be provided for the reinforcing rod 20a and this is 'formed as shown in Figure 4 by breaking away the portion 30 of Figure 3 and filling this portion with mortar 32 in which the bar 20a is embedded. This can be done either before or after the beams are placed in position on the foundation.

struction, yet secure all the strength required of beams used for floor construction or the like.

It will be obvious that the method of forming the beams is quite simple and takes but a minimum of time so that both for material and workmanship the expense is considerably reduced, when compared with the construction of floors as now generally done.

Changes may be made in the masonry unit without departing 'from the real spirit and purpose of my invention. It is my intention to coverl by my claims such modified forms of construction and use of mechanical equivalents as will be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

' l. A masonry unit comprising a plurality of masonry blocks arranged end to end, a groove in the bottom of each block, a rod extending throughout the length of the groove in said plurality vof blocks and mortared therein to, through tension, resist deflection of said unit when the ends thereof are supported, a second groove in each block above the center of gravity of the block and a second rod extending throughout the length of said second groove in said plurality of blocks, said second rod, through tension, resisting deflection of said unit when the unit is in inverted position and the ends thereof are supported.

2. A masonry unit comprising a plurality of masonry blocks arranged end to end, a groove in the bottom of each block, a trod extending throughout the length of the groove in said plurality of blocks and mortared therein, a portion of one end of said masonry unit having a groove in the top of each block, a second rod extending throughout the length of said second mentioned groove in the blocks of said portion of said unit and mortared therein, said masonry unit being adapted for support on a pair of spaced supports with part of said mentioned portion thereof overhanging one of said supports, said first rod,- through tension, resisting downward deflection of said masonry unit between said supports and said second rod, through tension, resisting downward deflection of the over-hanging part of said masonry unit.

3. A masonry unit formed of a plurality of blocks rectangular in cross section and arranged end to end to form a beam. a groove in the upper face of said beam, a reinforcing rod bonded in said groove, a second groove in a vertical sideA of said beam located on the opposite side of the neutral plane of said beam from said first mentioned groove and a second reinforcing rod bonded in said second groove. l i

4. A masonry unit formed of a plurality'of blocks, rectangular in cross section and arranged end to end to form a beam, a groove in the upper face of said beam, a reinforcing rod bonded inv said groove extending throughout but terminating within the length thereof, grooves in the vertical sides of said blocks on the opposite side of the neutral plane of said beam from said first' channel, mortar received in said other channels and a bar in each other channel and embedded in the mortar therein.

6. A masonry unit comprising a plurality of masonry blocks arranged end to end and divisible into a rst portion and a. second portion, said first portion having a groove in the bottom of each block thereof, a rod extending throughout the length of said groove and mortared therein, said second portion and a. part of said ilrst portion having a. groove in the top oi' each block, a second rod extending through the length of saidsecond mentioned groove and mortared therein, said rst portion being adapted for support at its ends on a pair of spaced supports with said second portion overhanging one of said supports, said iirst rod through tension resisting downward deflection of said masonry unit between said sup ports and said second rod, through tension resisting downward deection of the overhanging part ot said masonry unit.

7. A masonry unit comprising a plurality of masonry blocks arranged end to end, a groove in the bottom oi' each block, a rod extending throughout the length of the groove in said plurality of blocks and mortared therein to, through tension, resist defiection of said unit when the ends thereof are supported, and a tension rod associated with said plurality of blocks above the center of gravity of said unit, to, through tension, resist deection of said unit when the ends thereof are supported while the unit is in in- 15 verted position.

WALTER M. DUNAGAN. 

